DHS Head Allegedly Approved Acquisition of Ten Engine-Free Spirit Airline Planes Which Carrier Didn't Own
The secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security reportedly approved the purchase of Spirit Airline jets before discovering that the airline did not actually own the aircraft – and that the aircraft lacked power plants.
This strange anecdote was contained in a report released on Friday, which recounted how the secretary and a former campaign manager had recently attempted to buy 10 Boeing 737 aircraft from the airline. Sources with knowledge told the paper that the pair intended to use the jets to increase deportation flights – and for private use.
Those insiders also claimed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials had warned them that buying planes would be far more expensive than simply increasing existing flight contracts.
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Complicating matters further, the airline, which filed for bankruptcy proceedings for the second time in August, did not own the jets and their engines would have had to be bought independently. The proposal has since been paused, according to the report.
Meanwhile, Democrats on the House appropriations committee said in October that during this fall's historically lengthy government shutdown, the DHS had already acquired two Gulfstream jets for $200m.
“It has come to our attention that, in the middle of a federal shutdown, the US Coast Guard signed a single-source contract with Gulfstream Aerospace to procure two new G700 luxury aircraft to facilitate travel for you and the deputy, at a expense to the taxpayer of $200 million,” Democratic lawmakers wrote in a communication to the department.
A department representative told the Journal that parts of its reporting about the plane purchases were incorrect but declined to provide additional clarification.
The legislature had earlier approved the so-called “big, beautiful bill” in July, which dedicates roughly $170bn for immigration-related and border-related operations, a amount that makes ICE the most well-funded law enforcement agency in the US government.
In September, it was revealed that the government was transporting individuals detained as part of its removal program in ways that violated their legal rights, often by plane.
Confidential information examined from charter airline GlobalX detailed the travels of thousands of individuals who have been transported around the country before removal.
